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Darol Eldridge, 82

Darol R. Eldridge, 82, of Larwill, passed away at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014, at his home. Born Nov. 24, 1931, in Fort Wayne, he was the son of Dennis and Nellie (Barber) Eldridge. He attended Central High School graduating with the Class of 1949. Darol joined the U.S. Navy serving four years as an airplane mechanic. He married Marsha (Swearingen) Ihlenfeld on July 28, 1979. They lived in Fort Wayne and Huntertown before moving to Larwill in 1983. Darol dedicated 25 years to the Fort Wayne Police Department before retiring in 1984. He then worked for State Development Center for 10 Years. He was a member of Eberhard Lutheran Church, NRA, Blue Lodge Freemason, FOP and Mizpah Shrine. His hobbies include reloading ammunition, shooting his guns, reading crime novels, and his dogs. Surviving relatives include his wife of 34 years, Marsha; daughters, Marilyn Vaughn of Troy, Ohio, Sue (John) Stilwell of Ocala, Fla., Carol (Randy) Prudden of Dayton, Ohio, Kimberly Poage of Larwill, and Vickie Eldridge of South Whitley; 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents.Visitation will be held Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at DeMoney-Grimes Countryside Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. The funeral service will be held Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Alice Smith officiating. The burial will follow at Huntertown Cemetery. Memorial Bequest may be given in Darol’s memory to Parkview Whitley Hospice. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to sign the guest book or leave a family condolence.